'b all whom it may concern Be it known that l, 1WILMAM Monia lDnoirnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful improvements in Nursing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

lli/ly invention relates to nursing devices for infants.

'llhe object of my invention is to produce a sanitary and economical musing device in which the parts receiving the greatest wear are separable and may be renewed at slight expense. j

A. further object thereof is to provide a nursing` device with a flexible breast to be separably secured on a food cell, and a fienible nursing nipple separably attached to the breast.

Another object of my invention is to produce a flexible breast and nursing nipple for a nursing device adapted to be readily and securely coupled together for use, and thereafter conveniently uncoupled for cleansing and sterilizing and for the renewal of their parts.

A still further object thereof is to produce a flexible breast or dome for a nursing device provided with a suitable opening for the insertion of a flexible nursing nipple which is provided with a flaring flange around 'ts base, the adjacent and contacting parts of said breast and nipple being suit ably shaped and reinforced to form a liquidtight separable jointure for coupling same together in use, and still another object thereof is to produce a more simple, cheap, and eiiicient article of said class than has heretofore been provided.

To these ends, my invention includes the combinations and arrangement of component part-s to be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the claim.

ln the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters indicate similar parts, Figure 1 is an elevation .of my nursing device assembled; Fig. Q is a vertical sectional view of the same; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the parts of my device disassembled; Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a 1nodified form of the nipple of my invention; lFig. 5 is a perspective view of the nipple shown in liig. d, and Fig. 6 is a sectional view of another form of a nursing nipple.

My invention includes generally, a cylindrical food receptacle, preferably of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 2G, 1911.

Patented J une 2, i914.

serial no. 629,745.

wide mouth form, a dome or breast of flexible material such as rubber, having an opening in the top thereof for the insertion of a nursing nipple, and a nursing nipple provided with a flaring annular flange sur rounding its base and conforming to the shape ef the inner side of the dome.

Referring ri'ow to the drawings, il indicates a cylindrical food cell having one end open, around the mouth of' which is provided the annular flange or head 2.

3 indicates a dome shaped breast, of relatively flexible and elastic material, such as rubber, which is open at its base, and is provided with the inwardly extending annular flange er head d adjacent to its lower edge adapted to engage the flange Q around the mouth of the food reccptacle'when as sembled thereon. Said breast is provided with a circular opening 5 at its top, the edges of which at 6 are beveled inwardly to conform to the contour of the walls of the nipple hereinafter described. The walls of said breast 3, as shown in the drawings are reinforced by thickening same adjacent to the opening at the top, from which they gradually taper and diminish in thickness toward the base, for the purpose hereinafter described.

As shown in the drawings, the nursing nipple 7 is inserted through the opening 5 in the top of the breast. ln the preferred embodiment of my invention, said nipple is substantially conical in shape, when in repose, having the nursing vent 8 at its apeX, and surrounded at its base by an outwardly extending annular fiange 9 which forms an angle with the body portion of the nipple, and is designed to snugly conform to the inner wall of the breast adjacent to its upper opening. Said nipple is of flexible and elastic material, such as rubber. and its walls are slightly thickened at 9 below the base of the conical portion thereof to afford sufficient pressure and reinforcement to hold same in assembled position in the dome. Said nipple is of slightly greater diameter' about its base than the diameter of the opening 5 in the top of the breast, for the purpose of exerting an outward pressure on the walls of the breast when inserted. therein, and for forming a bulb-shaped structure above the breast as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The flange 9 of the nipple tapers to a thin edge at its outer extremity 10 to avoid forming an obstruction or shoulder against the inner wall of the breast. The breast and nipple, thus described, may be assembled in position before or after the breast has been attached to the food cell. If they are assembled prior to attachment on the food cell, the nipple may be introduced through the inside of the breast by compressing the bulb, but it may also be inserted through the top of the breast by compressing the flange at its base. then thus assembled, it will be appreciated that the reinforced and thickened structure of the upper part of the breast will support and yieldingly sustain the parts in their assembled relation, and that the expansion pressure of the nipple and flange will form a liquid tight coupling with the breast, the adjacent and contacting faces being molded to register and conform when assembled. It will further be appreciated that the structure thus formed provides a flexible and yielding device simulating the breast and nipple of a mother, and that the parts may be conveniently separated for cleansing and sterilizing, or for the renewal of the nipple portion should same become worn out without the necessity of providing an entirely new breast as well.

I do not desire to be limited to the particular form of nursing nipple shown in the preferred embodiment of my invention, and have, therefore7 shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, a modified form thereof. In said view, the nipple comprises the base l0 surrounded by the annular flange 9 of substantially the same structure as that shown in the preferred embodiment, upon which rises the substantially cylindrical flexible structure 1l which is entirely open at the top. The base l0 is provided with the central nursing orice 12 to permit the flow of food from the cell. As shown in the drawings, the interior of the cylindrical structure of said nipple is provided with a plurality of longitudinal ribs 13 adapted to prevent the collapse of the cylinder in such manner as to obstruct the flow of food. In the form of nipple last described, it will be appreciated that the location of the base l0 in substantial alinement with the top walls of the breast will provide a more substantial expansive pressure to prevent the displacement from assembled relation and that the location of the nursing orice in the base thereof avoids the contracting and eX- panding in nursing and thus regulates the steady flow of the food therethrough, and the orifice, thus protected, remains at a fixed size for a much longer nursing period, and regulates nursing.

Paving thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to have secured by Letters Patent, is-

A nursing device, comprising a flexible breast adapted to be detachably secured upon a food cell and having an opening at its top, the edges of said opening being beveled inwardly, and a flexible nipple of slightly greater diameter than the diameter of the opening secured in said opening, said nipple having an outwardly extending annular flange at its base conforming to the shape of the inner side of said breast, substantially as described.

VILLIAM MORE DECKER.

fitnesses lViLsoN F. STURM, E. A. OLDAY.

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